The Great Ocean Road, National Park, New South Wales, Australia

On this particular trip we decided to drive the inland route to the "other side" of the GOR and then drive it back to Melbourne. Most people drive the GOR from Melbourne and the traffic can get a bit congested. Additionally, there were some bike rides going on at the other end so we thought we'd try this strategy.

Wow, are we glad that we did! I don't know if we would have ever explored the western end of GOR had we driven all that way first. Instead, we were really motivated to explore when we arrived and so we discovered "Childer's Cove." There were absolutely NO cars on the entire stretch of road or the few stops that we made. It was absolutely awesome! We did see people eventually but given how crowded the Twelve Apostles can get; this was an absolute dream of peace and quiet. Not to mention, breathtaking beauty!

Our recommendation: drive Melbourne to Warrnambool but turn on to the GOR before Allansford. Then, be sure to make the turn to Allans Flat Road so that you can get to Childer's Cove Road and these amazing bays!

My husband and I are incredibly fortunate in that we met through our business interests and are now able to work (and, travel) together. On our trips, we always try to pack in some adventures either before or after our business. When jetlag is likely, we always add on a few days before our business begins so that we can use the outdoors to adjust to the timezone. With business in Australia our easy choice is to rent a 4x4/AWD vehicle and then head for the bush. Luckily, we both adore exploring. These pictures were taken on a business trip to Melbourne in March 2014; summer was just about ending but the weather was still lovely.

For more information: Great Ocean Road